Friday, May 28, 2010

Zazzle mousepad from JKcoder.com: Helix Nebula

Zazzle mousepad from JKcoder.com: Helix Nebula

Dust makes this cosmic eye look red. This eerie Spitzer Space Telescope image shows infrared radiation from the well-studied Helix Nebula (NGC 7293), which is a mere 700 light-years away in the constellation Aquarius. The two light-year diameter shroud of dust and gas around a central white dwarf has long been considered an excellent example of a planetary nebula, representing the final stages in the evolution of a sun-like star. Image credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech, Kate Su (Steward Obs, U. Arizona) et al.